NEWARK - Delaware is on a mission to keep the brightest and best bioscience students in the state. One way to accomplish this is through the Delaware Governor’s Bioscience Fellowship – a scholarship program that supports students from the University of Delaware, Delaware State University and Delaware Technical Community College by funding undergraduate summer research projects.

Delaware Tech’s honoree is Stephen Krasucki, who is studying Chemistry with a Math Concentration. Stephen will graduate from Delaware Tech in the spring and hopes to continue his education through graduate studies in Molecular Biology. Stephen’s summer research focused on white nose syndrome in bats, under the leadership of Dr. Virginia Balke and Dr. John McDowell, biological sciences instructors at Delaware Tech. The research was a continuation of a study he began earlier in the year and involved studying the DNA of the bacteria that caused the white nose syndrome in the animals.

Stephen used many different research techniques during his research and said it was an honor for him to receive the recognition of the fellowship. “It’s nice to be recognized on a bigger scale for the work I’m doing,” Stephen says. “The best part of research at Delaware Tech is that anyone with an interest can do it. The instructors are so supportive and encouraging.”

Mary Doody, acting assistant dean of instruction at Delaware Tech says the fellowship demonstrates the commitment of the state to supporting students who are going above and beyond in their studies. “It’s really incredible what these students are accomplishing,” Doody remarked. “They clearly have very bright futures. We are especially proud of Stephen and his achievements.”

Stephen and the other selected scholars were recognized at a luncheon in September. To date, more than 21 students attending Delaware institutions of higher learning have been helped in the pursuit of their bioscience careers by the fellowship. For more on the Delaware Governor’s Bioscience Fellowship, visit dgbfellowship.org.